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Working In The Coal Mine
Song Name: Working In The Coal Mine AKA Working In A Coalmine Artist: DEVO (cover song) Appears On: *Heavy Metal (soundtrack ), Working In The Coal Mine (single ), New Traditionalists (a bonus track, with some releases), Greatest Hits, Pioneers Who Got Scalped: The Anthology, Social Fools: The Virgin Singles 1978-1982 *Live 1981 Seattle (CD), Now It Can Be Told - Devo At The Palace Run Time: 2:48 (single version) Year Released: 1981 Years Performed: DEVO Live Guide. [https://duckduckgo.com/?q=site%3Ahuboon.com+%22workin%27+in+a+coal+mine%22 search for "workin' in a coal mine".] DEVO Live Guide. [https://duckduckgo.com/?q=site%3Ahuboon.com+%22working+in+a+coalmine%22&t=ffsb search for "working in a coalmine".] 1981 - 1982, 1988 Writing Credits: Allen Toussaint Sung By: Gerald V. Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh Alternate Versions: "uncensored" version (unreleased) Demo Versions: : Working In A Coalmine (3:13), (1977) on Hardcore Vol. 2 (titled Working In The Coal Mine on 2013 re-release ) : A demo called "Coal Mine" by Booji Boy on a September 1980 broadcast of the Dr. Demento radio show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnSpJMKF7JY Song Connections: Toil Is Stupid (similar topic) 'Trivia / Info:' *Musician Allen Toussaint wrote and produced the original Lee Dorsey hit in 1966. Toussaint's 1970 version appeared on his album "From a Whisper to a Scream" (released on Kent Records). Other bands such as Booker T. & the MG's had been covering it since the mid-1960's. *This cover song was considered for DNFTF and recorded as a demo for FOC , but was found to not fit that album's sound. It was prevented from inclusion on NuTra by WB. Because WITCM received radio play after inclusion in the Heavy Metal movie soundtrack, it was released as a single by WB. The single was then also packaged with the NuTra LP. Some reissues of NuTra add this song as a bonus track. *Alternately titled Working In A Coalmine on Virgin releases . *Mark Mothersbaugh said that it was intended to be a deconstruction of a classic song along the same lines as Satisfaction: "It was a song that we always liked, we thought that Allen Toussaint had written a masterpiece, so to us it was like another Satisfaction; we thought it was a song that withstood the test of time and was still applicable even today." *''Working In The Coal Mine'' was a minor pop hit both for Devo and for the Heavy Metal Soundtrack. In a 1981 radio interview from New York M. Mothersbaugh claimed that "Without even seeing the movie we knew we weren't going to like it. I think that nobody in the band has ever seen that movie." *Gerald Casale refers to an unreleased "uncensored" version of this song in a twitter post . In a later reddit post he says that what was censored will "never be revealed." Onstage Behavior: *Mark and Jerry usually add some onstage banter *Performed to playback on Australian TV show Countdown on an elaborate 2-level coal mine set. G.V.C. and Mark sing on their knees on top of the set. Alan swings a pick-axe, Bob1 shovels and Bob2 carts a wheelbarrow back and forth YouTube ::: They all stop and look up when the deep voice says "Lord - I am so tired..." G.V.C. raises his hands in amazement and Mark poses with "praying hands" *Also performed to audio playback on Fridays with the band as miners on the less elaborate 2-level set used on tour YouTube At the fade-out Jerry and Mark talk -- ::Jerry: Let's get out of here ::Mark: Hey Jerry, where is that coal mine? ::Jerry: Well - that coal mine could be right in front of you, ya never know *On 1988 tour DEVO sit on metal stools for the first songs of the set, including WITCM. G.V.C. shakes a maraca in his left hand to accompany the sound of Bob2's synthesized maracas, which open and close the song. Mark plays a keyboard on his lap (And, of course, Bob1 plays guitar and David plays drums) ::1988-11-03 show YouTube ::Instead of "I am so tired" Jerry says "...I am so De-volved!" ::On the next verse Mark asks "say, how you doing Jerry?" Jerry replies "Marky, I am so tired. How long can this go on?" :After WITCM, Jerry says "O.K., enough of this stuff spuds, lets go to work!" DEVO walk offstage, the stools are removed, and DEVO walk back on wearing the happy/sad logo T-shirts to play Happy Guy Lyrics: :Well I been workin’ in a coal mine :Goin’ down, down :Workin’ in a coal mine :whew! About to slip down :Well I been workin’ in a coal mine :Goin’ down, down :Workin’ in a coal mine :Whew! About to slip down :Five o’clock in the mornin’ :I’m up before the sun :When my work day is over :I’m too tired for havin’ fun :I been workin’ in a coal mine :Goin’ down, down :Workin’ in a coal mine :Whew! About to slip down :Workin’ in a coal mine :Goin’ down, down :Workin’ in a coal mine :Whew! About to slip down :Lord I am so tired :How long can this go on? :Well, I been workin’ in a coal mine :Goin’ down, down :Workin’ in a coal mine :Whew! About to slip down :Workin’ in a coal mine :Goin’ down, down :Workin’ in a coal mine :Whew! About to slip down :Five o'clock in the mornin’ :I’m up before the sun :When my work day is over :I’m too tired for havin’ fun :I been workin’ in a coal mine :Goin’ down, down :Workin’ in a coal mine :Whew! About to slip down :Workin’ in a coal mine :Goin’ down, down :Workin’ in a coal mine :Whew! About to slip down :Lord I am so tired :How long can this go on? :I been workin’, goin’, workin’ :Whew! About to slip down Original Lyrics: (As sung by Lee Dorsey) YouTube :Working in the coal mine :Going down down down :Working in the coal mine :Whoops, about to slip down :Working in the coal mine :Going down down down :Working in the coal mine :Whoops, about to slip down :Five o'clock in the morning :I'm already up and gone :Lordy I'm so tired :How long can this go on :That I'm working in the coal mine :Going down down down :Working in the coal mine :Whoops about to slip down :Working in the coal mine :Going :down down down :Working :in the coal mine :Whoops, about to slip down :'Cause I make a little money :Hauling coal by the ton, :But when Saturday rolls around :I'm too tired for having fun :Too tired for havin' :I'm just working in the coal mine :Going down down down :Working in the coal mine :Whoops, about to slip down :Working :in the coal mine :Going :down down down :Working :in the coal mine :Whoops, about to slip down :(Spoken) Lord, I'm so tired. How long can this go on? :That I'm working in the coal mine :Going down down down :Working :in the coal mine :Whoops, about to slip down :Working :in the coal mine :Going :down down down :Working :in the coal mine :Oops, about to slip down :Five o'clock in the morning :I'm already up and gone :Lordy I'm so tired :How long can this go on :That I'm working in the coal mine :Going down down down :Working in the coal mine :Whoops about to slip down :Working :in the coal mine :Going :down down down :Working :in the coal mine :Whoops, about to slip down :'Cause eager 'the morning :Hauling coal by the ton, :But when Saturday rolls around :I'm too tired for having fun :I'm just Working in the coal mine :Going down down down :Working in the coal mine :Whoops, about to slip down :Working :in the coal mine :Going :down down down :Working :in the coal mine :Whoops, about to slip down :(Spoken) Lord, I'm so tired. :(fade-out) References: External Links: : Working in a Coalmine (Releases) -- MusicBrainz : New Traditionalists: "Working in the Coal Mine" -- Wikipedia : Working in the Coal Mine -- Wikipedia Category:Cover song Category:Alternate title